QBullet: Kashmiri Youth Assault CRPF Jawans; BJP’s Win in Bypolls

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday registered an FIR on a complaint filed by the CRPF over a video clip showing some youths beating its jawans during bypoll to the Srinagar parliamentary constituency on 9 April.

“Police have registered an FIR on our complaint in Jammu and Kashmir. Law will take its course,” acting Director General of CRPF Sudeep Lakhtakia said in New Delhi.

Taking strong exception to the assault of CRPF jawans by Kashmiri locals, the government on Thursday promised stern action. In the video, a mob of Kashmiri youth is seen abusing and slapping CRPF jawans as they were returning with the EVM machines after the bypolls. The CRPF jawans, who were carrying guns, did not retaliate and maintained calm while crossing the street.

India on Thursday said it has no idea about Kulbhushan Jadhav’s location or condition in Pakistan. In a statement to the media, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay, said:

So far Pakistan has denied all our requests for consular access. The so-called legal process done by Pakistan was opaque. Pakistan has not shared with us till now any details of Jadhav ‘s location or how he is.

Former Indian Naval officer Jadhav was charged with spying for the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) and allegedly being involved in subversive activities in the Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The BJP registered an impressive win in the by-elections bagging five seats while the Congress won two seats in Karnataka. Fresh from a massive victory in the recently-held assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Thursday won the assembly bypolls in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan. The party was leading in Jharkhand.

Meanwhile, the Congress won two assembly seats in Karnataka, while one assembly seat from West Bengal was won by the Trinamool Congress.

Besides the Srinagar parliamentary seat, by-elections were held in 10 Assembly constituencies in seven states on Sunday.

4. Justice Karnan Summons CJI Khehar, 6 SC Judges to His 'Home Court'

Justice Karnan is facing contempt charges for his corruption allegations against the judges of Madras High Court and Supreme Court. (Photo: PTI)

In a move probably unprecedented in the country's legal history, Justice CS Karnan of the Calcutta High Court said on Thursday that he has passed an order asking Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and six other judges of the Supreme Court to appear before him at his residential court in Kolkata on 28 April.

CJI Khehar and the six other judges had earlier initiated contempt proceedings against Justice Karnan and summoned him to appear before them on 31 March. The seven-judge constitutional bench had also issued a bailable arrest warrant against Justice Karnan.

5. Ballot Papers May Be Back in Uttar Pradesh Civic Polls

Amid raging controversy over the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs), the State Election Commission (SEC) is planning to use ballot papers in the elections to all the 654 urban local bodies in Uttar Pradesh.

In 2012, the SEC had used EVMs in election to the posts of mayors and corporators in 14 municipal corporations. The SEC had used ballot papers in elections to Nagar Palika parishad (202) and Nagar Panchayats (438).

The SEC proposes to hold the elections to urban local bodies in June-July 2017.

State Election Commissioner SK Agarwal, in a telephonic interview with HT, maintained that though the move had nothing to do with the political parties’ allegation that the EVMs had been tampered during the recent assembly elections, it may bring the issue into focus again.

Canada termed on Thursday as “disappointing and inaccurate” the comments by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh that five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government, including Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, were “Khalistani sympathisers”.

Singh had on Wednesday alleged that Sajjan like his father is a “Khalistani sympathiser” and he would not meet him during his scheduled visit to India later this month.

“There were, in fact, five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government who were Khalistani sympathisers and I will not have any truck with them,” Singh had further claimed.

Reacting to the remarks, the Canadian High Commission said:

The comments regarding Canada’s ministers are both disappointing and inaccurate.

7. Muslim Cop Refuses to Shave to Get Job Back

A Muslim police constable, under suspension for the last five years pending disciplinary action for not adhering to Maharashtra State Reserve Police Force's no-beard policy, on Thursday rejected the Supreme Court's offer for his reinstatement if he agreed to keep his beard only during religious periods.

Zahiroddin Shamsoddin Bedade was appointed as a constable in State Reserve Police Force on 16 January 2008. While posted in Jalna in February 2012, he applied to the commandant to keep a beard. In May 2012, he was permitted to do so. But five months later, the permission was withdrawn in view of the amended guidelines on beard issued by the Maharashtra home department.

8. Techie Livestreams Private Acts With Wife, Arrested

A software engineer has been arrested for secretly recording intimate moments with his wife and streaming them live on a porn site using his laptop. The engineer, who was arrested last week, has been sent to judicial custody.

The victim (28), who is also employed, lodged a complaint with the cyber crime police in November 2016 after one of her friends informed her about the video on a porn site. At that time, she did not suspect that it was her husband who was behind the crime.

Investigations led cops to a man in Thrissur, who confessed that he had recorded the visuals from a live streaming porn site and uploaded them on another porn site.

9. Youth, Fiancée Harassed by BJP Supporters in Meerut

Barely a day after Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) members allegedly thrashed a Muslim boy for being in a compromising position with a girl, another couple was allegedly harassed by BJP workers on Wednesday night.

Police arrested one of the accused while two others were still at large.

“Of the three accused, Ankit has been arrested on Thursday,” said SP (city) Alok Priyadarshi, confirming that an FIR had been lodged on the girl’s complaint. “The accused (BJP men) living in girl’s neighbourhood had passed lewd remarks against the couple, which led to conflict,” he said.